Google is digging into reports of the Pixel 2 XL slowing down
When your phone has an issue, it’s hard to know whether it’s a problem entirely localised to your pocket, or if there are others out there. It becomes more difficult to assess the extent of the issue when those affected include tech journalists, because their voices are understandably amplified.
That’s the case with an apparent Google Pixel 2 XL bug, which apparently makes the devices perform far more sluggishly than a Snapdragon 835-powered device should.
Artem Russakovskii of Android Police and YouTuber Marquees Brownlee reported similar-sounding issues, so was this just a weird coincidence or is this a widespread problem?
Here's just one example of what I described as "devastatingly and embarrassingly laggy" on my Pixel 2 XL.
And it happens all the time and not to just the Camera (the Camera is just an example).@MKBHD's examples with animations were very tame compared to the crap I deal with. pic.twitter.com/qhShInB4YS
— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) August 9, 2018
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Google is digging into the issue and its early verdict is that this isn’t anywhere near epidemic proportions.
“We have teams who constantly manage and monitor performance on our devices and our data indicates this is not a widespread issue,” a statement from Google reads.
“Getting bug reports is a normal part of our process – as is common for most consumer devices. We use these to evaluate what might be wrong and work on any necessary fixes. We are still in the process of investigating this report so it is too early to draw conclusions.”
Stephen Hall, the managing editor of 9to5Google, claims that the company has found three possible causes for the problem – and one of them requires the hardware to be replaced.
Anonymous tip: Google has at this point identified three possible causes of @ArtemR's (and others) Pixel 2 XL lag issues, one of which would require hardware replacements.
— Stephen Hall (@hallstephenj) August 16, 2018
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Hopefully this only applies to extreme cases, and hopefully the company finds a software fix for the majority of sufferers. Even if the problem isn’t widespread, seeing your year-old £800 flagship performing like a five-year-old budget handset is no joke.
For Google this is definitely a bad time for such negative publicity to surface, as it prepares to launch its latest Google Pixel 3 handsets in a couple of months’ time.
Is your Pixel 2 XL suffering strange slowdown? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
